- Title: Body of Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya flown back to Kinshasa
- Date: 18th July 2021
- Summary: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM (FILE - MAY 11, 1997) (ORIGINALLY 4:3) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF THEN ARCHBISHOP LAURENT MONSENGWO PASINYA AT NEWS CONFERENCE VATICAN (FILE - MARCH 19, 2013) (REUTERS) CONGO CARDINAL LAURENT MONSENGWO PASINYA ARRIVING AT VATICAN
- Embargoed: 1st August 2021 22:05
- Keywords: cardinal laurent monsengwo pasinya church kinshasa pope francis vatican
- Location: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / VATICAN / KINSHASA, DRC
- City: BRUSSELS, BELGIUM / VATICAN / KINSHASA, DRC
- Country: Various
- Topics: Religion/Belief,Society/Social Issues
- Reuters ID: LVA005EMDB8EF
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: The body of Cardinal Laurent Monsengwo Pasinya was flown back to the Congolese capital on Sunday (July 18), following his death in Versailles last week while seeking medical treatment.
Monsengwo, 81, was a towering figure in African Catholicism. He was also part of a group of eight Cardinals selected by Pope Francis in 2013 to help him govern the Catholic Church and reform its troubled central administration.
An outspoken critic of Congo's government, Monsengwo was frequently derided by his own critics for his commitment to centrist positions when facing political crises, the Vatican said in an official obituary.
But Monsengwo's strongest legacy will be his unwavering advocacy for the rights of ordinary Congolese, the obituary said, having participated in protests against the former government of Joseph Kabila up until his retirement in 2018.
Monsengwo is set to be buried in Kinshasa on Tuesday, July 20.
(Production: Benoit Nyemba, Christophe Van Der Perre, Tara Oakes) - Copyright Holder: FILE REUTERS (CAN SELL)
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